Fire guts $1 million house after lightning strikes

Fire destroyed a home at 503 Solomon Circle in Hendersonville just after 3 p.m. today.

By John HarbinTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 3:12 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 3:12 p.m.

Firefighters in Henderson County battled two house fires caused by lightning Tuesday afternoon, including one blaze that destroyed a million-dollar home where a worker was also reportedly struck by lightning.

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An afternoon thunderstorm hit the county at 3 p.m. and lasted about 30 minutes. There were 80 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes during the storm, WSPA News Channel 7 Chief Meteorologist Christy Henderson said.

The first fire was reported at 3:10 p.m. at 503 Solomon Circle off Hebron Road. Flames continued to shoot from the collapsing roof an hour after firefighters arrived. The house looked to be a total loss.

The homeowner, Charlie Thompson, said he heard two quick snaps of lightning before the fire.

"One of the lightening strikes obviously hit this tree," Thompson said as he walked past trees on the property. "There was a worker in the garage, who was working on the stone driveway, who was struck by lightning, but he is OK. My wife's feet were tingling as we heard the lightning strikes."

Neighbor Mike Horan said he saw several lightning strikes during the storm. He said the lights also flickered at his house.

Henderson County Fire Marshal Rocky Hyder said there was an obvious lightning strike about 30 feet from the house.

"One of the workers was said to have been struck by lightning and was taken to the hospital to be examined," he added.

The official cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Several websites, including www.realtor.com, list the house as being for sale for $1,998,000. The description says the 6,526-square-foot four-bedroom home is "simply a work of art" and includes 140-year-old reclaimed heart pine lumber and "outrageous landscaping." The county's most recent appraisal lists the home's assessed value at $1,153,900.

Minor damage in second fire

The second house fire was reported at 3:45 p.m. at 1401 Locust Grove Road. The fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes, according to scanner traffic.

Officials at Mountain Home Fire Department said the house was struck by lightning and there was slight damage. No injuries were reported.

Forecast

Isolated areas of flash flooding was more of a concern as more areas receive heavy rain during the week, according to the National Weather Service.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely today, mainly after 4 p.m., the Weather Service said, and new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely through Friday night, with temperatures in the low to mid-80s, and there's a chance of storms Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the Weather Service forecast shows.

<p>Firefighters in Henderson County battled two house fires caused by lightning Tuesday afternoon, including one blaze that destroyed a million-dollar home where a worker was also reportedly struck by lightning. </p><p>An afternoon thunderstorm hit the county at 3 p.m. and lasted about 30 minutes. There were 80 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes during the storm, WSPA News Channel 7 Chief Meteorologist Christy Henderson said. </p><p>The first fire was reported at 3:10 p.m. at 503 Solomon Circle off Hebron Road. Flames continued to shoot from the collapsing roof an hour after firefighters arrived. The house looked to be a total loss. </p><p>The homeowner, Charlie Thompson, said he heard two quick snaps of lightning before the fire. </p><p>"One of the lightening strikes obviously hit this tree," Thompson said as he walked past trees on the property. "There was a worker in the garage, who was working on the stone driveway, who was struck by lightning, but he is OK. My wife's feet were tingling as we heard the lightning strikes."</p><p>Neighbor Mike Horan said he saw several lightning strikes during the storm. He said the lights also flickered at his house. </p><p>Henderson County Fire Marshal Rocky Hyder said there was an obvious lightning strike about 30 feet from the house. </p><p>"One of the workers was said to have been struck by lightning and was taken to the hospital to be examined," he added. </p><p>The official cause of the fire is still being investigated.</p><p>Several websites, including www.realtor.com, list the house as being for sale for $1,998,000. The description says the 6,526-square-foot four-bedroom home is "simply a work of art" and includes 140-year-old reclaimed heart pine lumber and "outrageous landscaping." The county's most recent appraisal lists the home's assessed value at $1,153,900. </p><p>Minor damage in second fire </p><p>The second house fire was reported at 3:45 p.m. at 1401 Locust Grove Road. The fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes, according to scanner traffic. </p><p>Officials at Mountain Home Fire Department said the house was struck by lightning and there was slight damage. No injuries were reported.</p><p>Forecast </p><p>Isolated areas of flash flooding was more of a concern as more areas receive heavy rain during the week, according to the National Weather Service. </p><p>Showers and thunderstorms are likely today, mainly after 4 p.m., the Weather Service said, and new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.</p><p>Showers and thunderstorms are likely through Friday night, with temperatures in the low to mid-80s, and there's a chance of storms Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the Weather Service forecast shows. </p><p>Reach Harbin at 828-694-7881 or john.harbin@blueridgenow.com.</p>